Broken Pieces
by RoseMaple
Summary: Once glass is broken, it shatters into a million pieces. And no matter what, you can never put all of those pieces back together. That glass remains incomplete. And just like that glass; he remained incomplete as well. Cato is crowned Victor, showered with riches and has everything. Everything except someone who really understands. Cato/OC. Co-written with Hop3less R0mant1c.
1. Chapter 1: Blue

**A/N: Another story! Crazy, right? This one is co-written by Hop3less R0mant1c! Enjoy and review! **

* * *

_Three weeks earlier..._

Cato glared at his elder brother before running a hand on his wet face. Alex grinned mischievously and backed away slowly, another red water balloon in his other hand. Cato grabbed an apple from the fruit tray and threw it at Alex catching him unaware. It hit him on the shoulder. Alex's mouth dropped open in shock as Cato smirked in satisfaction. "That'll teach you to mess with me." He said and turned away, getting ready to walk to his room so he could change into a dry shirt.

Alex took his chances and launched the water balloon. It hit Cato on the back of his head. He froze as cold water dripped down his back. Whirling around, Cato narrowed his eyes. "You. Are. Dead." He growled.

Alex gulped and turned on his heels, making a run for it. His younger brother was right behind him and the two brothers ran around the house, knocking into tables and tripping over sofas. Alex had just turned the corner into the long hall when his foot hit the leg of a table. A blue vase fell crashing to the floor and Alex winced, jumping back a bit. Cato crashed into him and was just about to throttle him when Alex pushed his hands away. "Idiot! Can't you see I have bigger problems?" He hissed.

Cato blinked at the broken vase and then started laughing. "Oh you are so dead! That's Dad's favorite vase!"

Alex rolled his eyes. "And you, dear brother, are going to help me clean that up."

Cato shook his head with an amused smile. "No way! You dropped it, you clean it up."

Alex jumped on Cato, wrestling him to the ground. Cato grinned and shook his head again. "You just never learn do you?" He said as Alex smirked.

"Nope!"

* * *

_Present..._

Alex watched the silver train stop in front of him and Cato step out of it. He tried to smile at him, wanting him to know that deep down he was proud of his baby brother. But he couldn't. Not after seeing the dark circles under Cato's eyes and the sad, faraway look on his face. Alex stepped forward and put an arm around Cato. He slumped against his elder brother slightly and Alex knew he was relieved. Maneuvering them through the crowd, Alex wouldn't let anyone near Cato. He had 'protective' mode on and he glared at whoever tried to talk to the recently crowned blonde Victor. All the way to the house there were non stop cameras and shouts of praise which were ignored by both brothers. Once inside the safety of the house Cato's mother rushed forward. She embraced her son, who wrapped his arms around her silently. He held her like it was just another task in his new life. When she pulled back she placed a kiss on each cheek and beamed at her youngest child.

"Oh Cato dear, just think of all the publicity we'll get! This is a new beginning of fame for our family name!" She exclaimed and grabbed her husband's arm, making him look up from the files he was reading and smile at Cato. Alex only stood there, looking at his parents in disbelief. How could they be so _blind_? Couldn't they tell that Cato did not want to be thinking about_ fame_ right now?

"You got a bunch of letters from Melody!" Alex exclaimed suddenly, thinking of any way possible to get Cato away from everyone. Cato looked at him and nodded before heading up the stairs. Alex gave his mother a short hug and walked after him. Cato sat on his bed and looked at the pile of letters stacked on his desk. How many of them did she write? How many of them declared her so-called 'love' for him?

"That girl needs help." Alex joked.

At the moment he would do anything to see Cato's old smile. Somewhere deep inside Alex knew his brother would never be the same after what he had experienced. Alex had watched every minute of it. He had watched Cato fight for the right of Victor on top of that cornucopia. In the end he knew District twelve didn't stand a chance. It was like watching two bees. They could sting Cato, but in the end nothing had effect and with their stingers went their lives.  
"You haven't changed."

It surprised Alex to hear his brother's voice and he saw that Cato winced in surprise at how he sounded. Cato turned away when he saw Alex looking at him with wide eyes. A while later he felt two strong arms wrap around him. Alex pulled his younger brother closer and tucked his head under his chin. "It'll be okay. I'll be here with you through it all." He whispered.

Alex felt Cato nod slightly against his chest as his arms went around his waist too. "Promise me." He said.

"I promise." Alex answered instantly.

They held each other for a long time until Alex felt Cato's head fall on his shoulder. He looked down and smiled when he saw that he had fallen asleep. Alex shifted slightly and placed Cato's head gently on the pillow. He pulled the blanket up, covering Cato in a soft blue. Finally he turned off the lights and closed the door as he walked into the hall. Indigo was waiting by the stairs with her arms crossed and a serious expression on her face. "How is he?" She asked when she saw Alex.

Alex let out a sigh. "I have never seen him like this before. He's completely changed."

Indigo nodded. "Keep him away from Enobaria." She said and Alex nodded in agreement.

Alex ran a hand through his hair. "Definitely. I don't trust Brutus either."

Indigo shook her head. "We can't do anything about that asshole."

The two of them stood silently for a while before Alex sighed again. "He's changed so much." He whispered with a sorrowful tone.

Indigo gave her younger brother a stern look. "Don't let him out of your sight. And don't let him anywhere near the Academy or Melody." She paused before adding, "Or the reruns of the Games."

Alex took a deep breath. "Sure." He answered.

Indigo nodded once before turning away. Alex watched her walk up the stairs and into her room. He glanced one more time at the closed-door of Cato's room and made his way out the front door.

* * *

_Four days later..._

Cato's health was getting worse. He had two bruises on the side of his neck which he had gotten when he had fallen over a chair. He could hardly see properly anymore because he was so weak now. The circles under his eyes hadn't improved and a long scratch ran down from the top of Cato's right cheek to the bottom. He had earned that from his mother after he had told her that he was tired of all the parties she was forcing him to go to. She hadn't listened, of course, and instead she had slapped him while yelling, "You will go whether you like it or not!"  
Cato didn't argue anymore. He simply drifted through his day silently.

It was a bright Thursday morning when Brutus called Cato over to his house because he had to discuss something very 'important'. Cato walked over to the Victor's house in simple blue jeans and a navy blue shirt. He rang the doorbell and waited silently for someone to open the door. A while later, Brutus flung it open and ushered Cato inside with his signature scowl. "Hurry up, boy." He growled.

Cato walked into the house and followed Brutus into the living room. Brutus pushed Cato down onto the sofa and plopped down next to him. "Why haven't you come to the Academy?" He asked while glaring at the younger Victor.

"I didn't feel like it." Cato replied.

"I don't give a shit! You know that Victors have got to go to the Academy to teach the younger students!" Brutus yelled.

Cato winced at the sharpness in Brutus's tone and didn't say anything.

"Boy, you toughen up or else I'll make you." Brutus leaned back on the sofa.

Cato looked out the window. "I need water." He said.

Brutus shrugged. "Go get it."

Cato stood up and walked to the kitchen. The format of the house was the same as his new house's was. He grabbed a glass and took the jug out of the fridge. He was just about to pour it in when he heard footsteps. Cato turned around and froze. Standing in front of him was a girl with long dark brown hair and the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. Her hair had strands of red running between the brown and she wore white jeans with a red shirt. She saw Cato looking at her and she offered him a small smile. "You must be Cato." She said and Cato was surprised at how... _gentle_ she sounded. It had been a while since he had heard that tone of voice from someone other than Alex or his eldest sisters, Indigo and Pastel.

"Uh, yeah, I'm Cato. And you are?" He asked, the jug of water forgotten. It seemed he had also forgotten his misery and despair for the moment.

"Mint Emma Silver." She answered, her smile widening slightly.

Cato frowned. What was a girl doing in Brutus's house? Was she his daughter? "Do you live here?" He asked. "With Brutus?" His voice sounded disbelieving.

Mint nodded. "I'm his niece." Her smile slowly faded and her eyes turned blank. "No one really knows about me. Uncle Brutus doesn't like me."

Cato didn't know what to say. The atmosphere had completely changed with those words. Finally, Mint looked at him and he nearly smiled when he saw the twinkle back in her eyes. "You know, you should get some ointment on that cut. It could get infected."

Cato reached up and touched the bottom of the cut. He winced slightly when his finger hit it and his hand fell back at his side. Mint tilted her head before taking a few steps back. "Wait right here, I'll bring you some." She said and ran out of the kitchen. She returned a while later with a tube of white and green ointment in her hands. Mint pulled off the cap and squeezed some onto her finger. Cato watched her bottom lip stick out a bit as she concentrated on putting the ointment on. He instantly felt better when she had applied it on the cut.

"Thanks." Cato said when Mint was done. She beamed at him.

"Your welcome!" Mint exclaimed. "You can come to me whenever you're sick or something. I'm a healer."

Just then, Brutus walked into the kitchen. His eyes narrowed when he saw Mint and the ointment in her hands.

"And _what_, exactly, are you doing out of your room?" Brutus growled, grabbing ahold of Mint's arm.

Mint winced and looked down. "I-I was-" She began.

"How many_ fucking_ times do I have to tell you to _never_ step out of that room?!" Brutus yelled.

Brutus glanced at Cato once before yanking Mint out of the kitchen. Her sorrowful eyes met his one last time before she looked away. Cato stood alone, Mint's sad glance replaying in his mind. He looked at the enterance of the kitchen hoping Mint would come running through. But she didn't, and all he had left to remind him of her was the gentle warmth still on his cut.


	2. Chapter 2: Red

**A/N: Thank you all for such lovely reviews! In this story, Alex, Cato's elder brother looks like Alex Pettyfer. Pastel looks like Alyson Stonner and Indigo looks like a bit of a more mature version of Pastel. Just wanted to clear that up a bit ;)**

* * *

Pastel handed Cato his plate and plopped down in the chair next to him. "So little brother, how's it going?" She asked, taking a bite out of her drumstick.

Cato nodded, his attention elsewhere. "Good." He answered.

Pastel rubbed his back. "Sweetheart, don't lie to me." She said, and held up a spoonful of rice to Cato's lips. "You know better than to lie to your elder sister."

Cato nodded again but this time he turned to look at her. "It's a bit hard, I guess."

Pastel gestured towards the spoon and Cato took it into his mouth and chewed slowly as he continued. "I just don't know how to... how to adjust. To everything."

"I get what you're saying." Pastel fed Cato another spoonful of rice. "How's everything at the Academy going?"

Cato shrugged. "Awful. All of the students expect me to train them and I just can't."

"Because when you see a sword, you get reminded of the Arena, right?" Pastel offered.

"Yeah." Cato agreed. "And of all the blood I caused."

Pastel put the spoon down and took a deep breath. "What about Melody? Is she still bugging you?"

Cato let out a sigh. "She expects me to understand her need to attend every party held in my honor with her."

"Bitch." Pastel muttered. "I'd love to run her through with my new knife."

Cato gave her a small smile. "I'm full. Can I go now?"

Pastel held up the spoon. "Two more spoons and then I'll let you go."

Cato ate the rice quickly before giving Pastel a kiss on the cheek and walking out of the room. He met his father in the hallway. "Cato, my boy, I was just heading to Brutus's to drop this package off. Would you mind?" He asked.

Cato took the package and nodded. He was out the door and heading to Brutus's house in less than 30 seconds. The faster he delivered the package, the faster he could get home and talk to Alex about the girl he had met at Brutus's house. He had forgotten about her while he was at the Academy but as soon as his father had mentioned Brutus, he instantly remembered Mint. Cato rang the doorbell twice before it finally opened. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar blue-eyed brunette.

"Oh hello." Mint said, her surprised face breaking into a grin. "It's you again."

"I, um, I have something." Cato stuttered under Mint's gaze. Mint took the package from his hands and tucked it under her arm. "Why don't you come inside?" She offered and held the door open.

Cato nodded and hesitantly stepped inside the house. Mint led him into the living room where she sat the package down on the coffee table and then took a seat on the leather couch. Cato stood there awkwardly and tried to look at everything except the girl standing in front him.

Mint smiled and patted the sofa. "You can sit down if you'd like."

Still remaining silent, Cato walked over and sat down next to her. "I'm sorry about the other day when Brutus dragged me out." Mint said after a while.

"Do you mind if I ask why?" Cato blurted out but then shut his mouth realizing she may not be comfortable with that question.

"He hates me." She answered simply, not wanting to elaborate. "I don't really talk to people often. Is it alright if I get to know you a bit?"

Her smile faltered when Cato remained silent. Truth was, Cato didn't know how to answer. Should he have given her an enthusiastic reply like, "Oh sure!" Or a cool, casual one like, "Yeah, sure." Mint tilted her head and asked."What's your favorite color?"

Cato was taken by surprise when she asked the question. It seemed a bit of random question to him. For a second he even thought she was joking, but when he saw her staring at him with curiosity, it was obvious she meant it.

Cato ran a hand through his hair. "Blue. Yours?"

"Red and purple." She answered. Cato raised his eyebrows and then shook his head to which Mint laughed.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I thought your favorite color would be green or something." He said. He had thought that since her name was Mint, she would like the color as well. Cato was about to ask if she knew why her parents had named her mint when there was a furious knock on the front door.

"Mint open the door!" A strong male voice shouted.

Mint's eyes widened and she literally jumped from the couch and sprinted to the door. She glanced through the peephole to see an angry looking Brutus. "Shoot." She muttered and ran back over to Cato and grabbed his arm before yanking him off the couch. It surprised Cato at how easily she pulled his 170 pound body of the couch. Looking over her petite shape he figured she had to only weigh about 115 pounds, more or less.

"You have to get out of here." She whispered and started tugging him towards the back door of the house.

"I'll make sure Brutus gets the package, but if he asks, I'll tell him you didn't give it to me." She opened the back door and pushed Cato out. She was about to shut it, but Cato stopped it with his foot.

"And if he asks who I gave it to?" He asked.

Mint bit her lip and thought for a second. "Tell him you gave it to the butler. He'll cover for me." She said finally and tried to shut the door, but Cato held it open once again.

"I have more questions." He said with a frown.

"So do I." She said slowly and then added, "Brutus always goes out for dinner around 6."

"I'll see you at six." Cato said. Mint smiled and nodded.

"Six it is." And with that she shut the door, leaving Cato standing there with questions running through his mind. The first question he wanted answered was why Brutus hated her? And then maybe he could ask her why she acted as if she'd never seen the light of day.

Cato took a deep breath and began walking back to his Victor house. Just as he pushed open the door to his house, Alex bumped into him. Alex's eyes widened when he saw Cato and he gripped his shoulders. "Where were you?!" He demanded, his voice wavering slightly.

Cato placed his hands on top of Alex's. "It's okay, I just went to drop of a parcel at Brutus's."

Alex's tense shoulders slumped with relief. "Just... Just tell me before you leave, okay? I was so worried..." His voice trailed off.

Cato nodded and walked inside the house, Alex following close behind. The two brothers plopped down on the sofa and leaned back. After a while Cato sat up. "Alex, can I ask you something?"

Alex nodded. "Sure, what happened?"

"Did you know Brutus had a niece?" Cato asked.

Alex frowned. "Niece? Brutus? I didn't even know he had siblings."

Cato took a deep breath. "I saw her twice, yesterday and today. From what I got, her uncle doesn't like her too much."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Why would he have his niece living with him when he hated her?"

Cato stuck out his bottom lip, a habit he had when he was thinking hard about something. "Mint invited me over at 6, she said Brutus goes to dinner at that time."

Alex tilted his head. "So, her name is Mint? I didn't know you guys were already on first-name basis already."

Cato didn't answer as his cheeks turned pink. Alex smirked and looped an arm around him and pulled him closer. "I'm just messing with you, little bro." He said and ruffled Cato's hair. They sat silently for a while before Alex asked, "Hey, has Pastie been force-feeding you? You look a lot better than before. Healthier too."

Cato nodded. "She fed me four times today and three times yesterday." He complained.

Alex patted Cato's back. "That's what you get for freaking us out by becoming a zombie." Alex inspected Cato's face. "Your cut looks better too. And those bruises are almost gone."

"Mint gave me ointment for that." Cato mumbled.

"Ah, yes, good old Mint. Tell me Cato, how many times have you met with her, again? You haven't been meeting her at night, have you? You haven't been _doing anything_ at night, have you?" Alex asked while raising his eyebrows.

Cato pushed him off of the couch and stomped out of the room.

_Three hours later..._

Cato sat on his bed with his head in his hands. He was dressed in some black slacks and a white V-neck. He couldn't count how many times he had changed in and out of clothes to find the right outfit. He knew he shouldn't be worried about how he looked, Mint didn't seem the kind of girl to throw herself at a guy just because of his good looks. But still, he wanted to look nice.

"I'm worse than a girl." He muttered with a sigh. He heard his door creak open and he looked up to see Pastel walk in. She looked around the room and furrowed her brow.

"What's going on? Did mom go through your closet again?" She asked with a teasing smile. Cato just glared at her and looked away. He really wasn't in the mood for teasing right now. Pastel rolled her eyes and walked over to him wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

"Whatever it is, it looks like the kind of problem a girl can solve so... confess." Cato looked up at her and sighed.

"So there's this girl," Pastel raised an eyebrow and began to say, "Mel-"

Cato cut her off. "Who's _not_ Melody. Well she, um, I'm seeing her tonight, I mean like-" He didn't even get to finish the sentence before Pastel was jumping up and down.

"Oh my goodness! Why didn't you say so?!" She squealed and literally disappeared into his walk in closet. She reappeared with an armful of shirts, another armful of pants, two pairs of shoes hanging of her fingers and twelve different ties around her shoulder. Cato took one look at her and knew he had entered into a fashion war zone.

"Alex!" He yelled. Alex burst into the room and rushed over to his younger brother.

"What is it?" He asked. Cato stood and pointed to Pastel. Alex looked at her and rolled his eyes. "It's a simple meeting not a wedding."

"It's important either way! Now try this on Cato." She said and handed him some black pants, black shined shoes, and a striped shirt.

"Pastel do not give him a striped shirt." Alex complained. It didn't matter whether he was a guy or not, Alex hated stripes. He had hated them since his mother had made him wear stripes for a whole month. It had been the new fashion of the capitol.

Cato sighed and took the clothes before walking into the bathroom. Pastel tilted her head. "Is it just me or is Cato getting back to normal?"

Alex grinned. "It's just you." He answered.

Pastel glared at him and whacked him on the back of his head before saying, "If this girl can keep him like this forever, I'm gonna have her move in with us. He wasn't like this yesterday and after his visit to Brutus's, he started to talk and stuff. And now he's smiling as well."

Alex nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's all great but we have one problem... Melody."

Pastel shuddered. "Don't remind me of that bitch."

Alex looked at the closed bathroom door. "She will certainly throw a hissy fit if she finds out that Cato's seeing a girl. Even if he says it's nothing 'romantic', from the way I see it, it might not be now but you never know what could happen. And if she's really helping Cato, than I don't see why they can't advance from just friendship."

Pastel bit her lip. "We can't let her get to close to him. You know what happened to that other girl that Cato started to like. Melody is going to do the same to this girl if she gets closer to him."

"That's another problem. If we keep Cato away from Mint, he'll go back to before. But if we let him see her, then Melody-" Alex stopped when he saw the door of the bathroom open and Cato step out.

Pastel gave him the thumbs up. "You look awesome!" She exclaimed.

Cato looked down at his outfit before shaking his head. "No, I don't."

Alex grabbed a black button-down shirt, a black silk vest and black jeans. He handed them to Cato and pushed him back in the bathroom before turning to Pastel and growling, "He looked like the Cat in the hat."

Pastel chuckled. "Damn straight."


	3. Chapter 3: Pink

**A/N: Thank you again for the AH-MAYZ-ING reviews. You guys rock! XD**

* * *

Cato had finally decided on a black button down shirt, a dark purple tight-fitting vest, black slacks and simple black dress shoes. Pastel had tried to make him wear a rose but Alex had put his foot down and refused to let his little brother look like one of President Snow's henchmen. Cato finally waved good-bye at his elder siblings and began to walk towards Brutus's house. Pastel sniffed as she saw her brother walk away. "Oh, he's so handsome!" She exclaimed, ripping a tissue into pieces while trying to wipe her eyes.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Good Lord." He muttered and pulled Pastel inside before she ran after Cato in a fit of tears. Indigo met them in the hall. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Pastel sniffing and Alex rolling his eyes constantly. "What's going on?" She asked, taking a bite into a green apple.

Pastel wiped her tears. "Our baby brother has grown up." She cried and hugged Indigo.

Indigo stumbled back and pushed Pastel off of her. "Good riddance! Is that what you're crying about?"

Pastel nodded and rubbed her red nose. Indigo groaned in exasperation and then turned to Alex. "Don't you start crying too." She warned.

Alex just rolled his eyes again and walked to his room. Pastel wandered after him while Indigo sighed and walked into the living room.

* * *

Cato hadn't rang the bell, Mint was waiting for him. She grinned and whispered a quick, "Hi!" And then pulled him into the house. Cato allowed her to lead him up the stairs and up a second set of stairs. She let go of his arm and, with difficulty, pushed open a small door. Cato instantly recognized it as the door that led to the attic. Not daring to raise his voice, he asked in surprise, "You live in the attic?!"

Mint simply nodded and walked up the narrow staircase. She pushed open the door at the top and held it open for Cato to stumble through. Mint flicked on a switch and Cato blinked at the sudden blinding light. He looked around the room, or attic, that he had just walked into. There were pictures hanging everywhere on the walls. Various faces looked back at him and paintings lay scattered here and there as well. There was a small, cozy looking bed pushed off into a corner and a wardrobe on the other side. There were a few colorful rugs lying around and the rest of the floor was occupied by paint bottles and paintbrushes. Cato raised an eyebrow when he saw two brown teddy bears lying on the bed with lopsided grins.

"You sleep with teddy bears?" He asked with a small smile.

Mint grinned. "Yep, it gets pretty lonely. Brownie and Coco keep me company."

Cato raised his other eyebrow. "You _named_ your teddy bears?"

Mint grabbed the smaller one and nodded. "They deserve to be named." She answered and kissed the top of its head and then the top of the other's. Cato chuckled before turning his attention to the sketches and paintings on the wall. "You never told me you were an artist."

Mint shrugged. "We haven't exactly talked about our hobbies yet." And then she smiled. "You look nice."

Cato felt his cheeks turn pink and he looked away quickly. "Um, thanks. You look good too." Mint was wearing a simple light pink dress with a knitted white sweater and fluffy penguin slippers.

She beamed at him. "Thanks!" She exclaimed. "Would you like something to eat? I have a secret stash of candy."

Cato nodded and Mint walked towards the wardrobe and opened a small drawer. She pulled out a handful of chocolate bars and handed Cato three.

"Brutus doesn't know about this." She whispered. "Don't tell him or else he'll confiscate all of it."

Cato laughed. "I won't." He promised.

Mint kept two of the candy bars for herself and started to nibble on one of them.

"You like chocolate?" Cato asked.

"It's my favorite." Mint answered. "What do you like to eat?"

Cato thought about it for a minute and decided on Pastel's vegetable soup.

"My elder sister's vegetable soup. There's just something about it that warms you up inside." He said. Mint gave him a wide smile and finished the last of her chocolate before tilting her head. "So," She began. "You said you had some questions."

Cato nodded slowly and Mint crawled onto her bed. She motioned for Cato to join her and he sat down on the edge while she folded her legs behind her and waited.

"Do you ever go out of the house?" Cato asked her finally.

Mint shook her head. "Nope. I'm either up here or downstairs. Mostly up here."

"How do you stand it?" Cato gave her a look of disbelief. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be isolated from everyone in the outside world. He remembered a story Pastel had told him when he was young. It was a story about a girl with long golden hair who was kept trapped inside a long tower by a witch. Maybe Mint was like that girl too.

"Brutus makes sure I get what I need to eat and a special shipping of clothes and stuff comes about every week." Mint explained.

"Why does Brutus..._ hide_ you?" Cato asked.

Mint tensed up instantly. She wanted to tell Cato, but inside she knew it would be a bad idea. A haunting flashback played in front of her as she remembered what had happened last time when she had told someone. Mint looked down at the long scar running down her arm and then shook her head, turning her attention back to the blonde Victor in front of her.

"It's just better that way. He, um... just wants to keep me safe." She lied. Cato recognized her answer as a lie but he let the matter drop.

"Oh, okay. Um, do you have any questions?" He asked with a small smile. She smiled back and nodded. "How many siblings do you have?"

"There's Alex, my older brother who's 26. He constantly worries about me and never lets me out of the house. And Indigo who acts like a cranky mother all the time because she happens to be the eldest and the 'boss'. Then there's Pastel who's 5 years elder than me and the substitute mother." Cato replied.

"It must be nice to have siblings." Mint said.

Cato nodded. "Yeah, they really watch out for me."

They continued talking, discussing their very different lives. They shared laughs and Cato couldn't seem to get enough of Mint's small giggle that she let out now and then. For some reason he thought it was the cutest thing he'd ever heard, like a small tinkling bell. Mint brought some noodles which she pridefully stated that she had cooked herself. Cato had loved them and eaten more than Pastel would have forced him to eat.

After a while, Mint asked, "Why did you volunteer for the Hunger Games?" As soon as the question escaped her lips, she knew she had done something wrong. Cato looked at the wall as his blue eyes darkened and a shadow passed over his face.

"I just did." He whispered and for a moment it's like he's in another world. Mint swallowed hard and placed a hand on Cato's shoulder. She's surprised to feel him so tense. Cato continued looking at the wall.

"Cato." Mint said and Cato's shoulders slumped. The light in his eyes returned and he blinked twice before turning to Mint. "I'm sorry. It's just..." Cato's voice trailed off and he rubbed his neck slowly. Cato nearly sighed as he thought, _Oh great, she thinks I'm crazy now. _

But instead of looking at Cato as if he'd lost it, Mint patted his back. "The Hunger Games bring back bad memories. I really shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry." She said soothingly.

Cato looked up at her and tilted his head to the side in confusion. Shouldn't he be the one apologizing? He was the one who had overreacted...

"I'm sorry too. I mean, I should try to get over it but these Hunger Games just-" Cato winced.

"The Hunger Games can do that." Mint agreed. "Has this happened before?"

Cato nodded. "Yeah. A lot of people have tried to talk to me about the Games. The worst part is, I hurt people too. The memories take over and I-I hurt them." Cato looked down at his hands and said a quiet, "I could have hurt you too."

"That's alright, I don't think you would've hurt me." Mint admitted.

Both of them knew which questions to avoid. Mint pushed away the questions about the Hunger Games, while Cato pushed any questions about her life with Brutus out of his mind. They sat silently for a while before Mint looked up at the wall clock. Her eyes widened when she realized the time. "Oh no!" Mint cried.

Cato frowned and looked up. It was a quarter past eight. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Brutus is supposed to come back at 8:20. Five minutes!" Mint jumped off of the bed and slipped on her slippers. Cato raised an eyebrow as she pulled out five sketchbooks from underneath the bed. She pushed them into Cato's hands. "Here, these will keep you company until our next meeting."

"Next meeting?" Cato asked.

Mint froze. "You... You don't want to see me again?"

"No, no. I didn't mean it like that. I was a bit surprised that _you_ wanted to see me again." Cato answered quickly.

Mint beamed. "Of course I do. We're friends, right?"

Cato nodded. "Sure."

Mint gave him a satisfied nod back and then took his hand and squeezed it. "Let's go now." She said and led Cato back down the two sets of stairs and out of the house. Cato waved good-bye at the brunette and tucked the sketchbooks under his arms as he began to walk back home. He was just a block away from his house when a slender figure stepped in front of him. "Hello Cato." A low voice purred.

Cato took a deep breath as he realized it was Melody. "Hey." He answered. "What are you doing here?"

Melody tilted her head. "Oh, I don't know. I was just going to visit my _boyfriend_ when I found out he wasn't home." She ran a long fingernail down his cheek. "Where were you?"

Cato let out a small sigh. "Look, Melody, I don't have time for this. I-"

And suddenly her lips were on his. Cato stumbled back and then pushed Melody off of him. "What the heck?!" He demanded, pulling the sketchbooks closer.

Melody scowled. "Are you forgetting that you're _my_ boyfriend. _And_ soon-to-be husband."

Cato gritted his teeth. "Have you lost your mind?"

Melody smirked. "Oh but you will marry me. Because if you don't, then who else can you marry? Do you really think I'll let you marry anyone else? Remember what happened to that little bird you got too close to? Robin?"

Cato cringed as memories of the small blonde took over his mind. He shook his head violently as he remembered her hollow brown eyes and the blood staining her white skin.

Melody laughed cruelly. "Face reality Cato. You and I shall be wed. Oh and did I mention, your parents have already accepted."

Cato had had enough. He pushed Melody away and ran the rest of the distance to his house. He flung the door open and ran into the living room where he saw his family sitting. Cato's parents looked up at him in surprise while his siblings gave him confused looks.

"You cannot do this." Cato said.

"Cato, sweetheart, what are you talking about?" His mother asked.

"I will not marry Melody." Cato stated.

His mother smiled brightly at him. "But of course you will! You both are so lovely together and we're going to the Mayor's house tomorrow to decide the date and everything."

Alex's, Pastel's and Indigo's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?!" They demanded.

Their mother pointed a polished fingernail at them. "You three stay out of this." She growled and then turned back to her youngest child. "Everything will be grand. Don't worry about a thing."

Cato pursed his lips into a tight line and stormed out of the room and up the stairs. His elder siblings winced when they heard the loud _bang_ of the door. Alex allowed his head to fall into his hands. "What have you done, Mother?" He said.

His mother sniffed. "I will decide what is best for my son and marrying him to the Mayor's daughter is the perfect decision on my part."

Indigo glared at the elder woman. "Yeah, 'your' part being the keyword. What about Cato's part?"

Their mother said nothing.

* * *

**A/N: Now, what do_ you_ guys have to say about that? **


	4. Chapter 4: Gold

**Thank you again for such lovely reviews. You. Guys. Are. AWESOME!**

* * *

Cato was stretched out on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Of all the things his mother could have decided to do to make his life a living hell, this was the worst. He had put up with her parties and her stupid rules, but this time she had gone too far. Way too far.

Cato instantly remembered his best friend and training buddy, Clove. He wished she could have been sitting next to him right then. He laughed to himself as he imagined her face twisting at the mention of Melody.

_"She'd tell me to fucking stand up for myself."_ Cato thought. Suddenly his mind was filled with the horrifying memory of Clove's death. Cato squeezed his eyes shut as he remembered her small body lying on the sharp green grass completely bloodstained.

"You know, Clove would be beating your sorry ass if she saw you just lying there."

Cato turned to see Indigo walk into his room. Cato groaned and turned onto his side with his back to her. All he wanted was some quiet time for himself and his thoughts. Indigo knew that, but she was ... well ... _Indigo_. When her 'baby' brother was hurt or sad, she would beat up whoever had caused his distress.

Indigo sat down on the bed next to Cato. "Listen, Mother is just being a bitch. She'll realize that and she'll call this wedding shit off. It'll be fine." She reassured him with a small smile.

Cato sighed and pushed himself up onto his elbows. He looked over at her and then rolled his eyes. "You have to say that. You have to assure the baby duckling that everything will be 'alright'."

Indigo laughed and ruffled his hair. "That's right, because everything _will_ be alright. So, just say the word and I'll make sure Melody is never heard of again."

"I don't need any more blood spilled because of me." Cato answered and looked up at the ceiling again.

Indigo frowned. "Well then, we'll just have to think of something else."

Cato didn't say anything for a while before Indigo pulled him into a bear hug. "What's with all of the hugs?" He asked with a small smile. "I didn't know you and Alex knew _how_ to hug."

"I'm in a good mood." Indigo replied. "Be quiet before you cause me to lose it. Just cuddle with your big sister like old times." Cato smiled against Indigo's shoulder as they both remembered when they were younger and Indigo would always creep into Cato's bedroom at night to read him a story and then tuck him into bed. As a child Cato had nightmares occasionally and Indigo's stories always put an end to them.

_"Indigo get into your bed this instant!" Stephanie yelled. Indigo had just reached the best part of the story when their mother had found them. She threw her mother a death glare before sulking off to her room, leaving a small and scared 4 year old Cato alone. Stephanie helped Cato into bed before tucking him in and leaving without so much as a 'goodnight' or an 'I love you'. Cato waited until the hallway light was turned off before he got out of bed and slowly crept towards the door. He was barely tall enough to reach the door handle, but he was able to touch it with his finger tips when he stood on his tip toes. Cato tried to jump and reach the door handle but he slipped and fell back. Tears welled up in his big blue eyes and he sniffed as the darkness of the room began to close in on him. Just then the door to his room opened. Cato looked up to see Indigo grinning down at him. She helped him up and holding his much smaller hand in hers, walked towards his bed. She gently tucked him in before crawling in next to him._

_"I wish we could shawe a woom. Mothew doesn't kiss my sweet dweams." Cato whispered to her. He moved closer to her as Indigo smiled._

_"If we shared a room, we would get so fed up that we'd kill each other before a week was over. And besides, Mother wouldn't allow it." Indigo answered and chuckled._

_"Does Mothew cawe about me?" Cato asked his elder sister, his big eyes already filled with dread for Indigo's answer. Indigo smiled instead. "Of course she does. She's just so tired at the end of the day." _

_Cato nodded and didn't argue. After a while, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, lightly holding on to Indigo's hand. His elder sister kissed his forehead before whispering, "Good night Cato. Sweet dreams." And then she crept back to her own bedroom._

Indigo's mind snapped back to reality and she looked down at Cato's head which had fallen heavily against her shoulder. She laid his head down onto the pillow and pulled the blanket up to his chin. Just before she turned off the light, Indigo kissed Cato's forehead and whispered, "Sweet dreams, baby brother."

* * *

Alex had called a 'Irone Family Elder Siblings Meeting' instantly after Indigo walked out from Cato's room. The reason for the IFESM was obvious; what to do about Melody. The meeting took place in Pastel's room since hers was the only one without swords and spears hanging everywhere. "Look, we'll just give Melody a good scare and she'll stay away." Alex said.

"That's not going to work, Alex. That girl is made out of steel. Hard, cold and unloving steel." Indigo answered, twirling a knife on her finger. "We'll have to think of something else."

"Why don't we just crash the wedding when it takes place?" Pastel suggested.

"Because we don't know when the wedding is. The more time there is to the wedding, the more we'll see of a very sad and very depressed Cato." Alex replied.

"The wedding isn't going to take place in a year or something." Pastel said. "It'll probably take place in a few weeks. A month at the most. You know how that bitch is about these kind of things."

"You know what, wedding crashing isn't going to work. That's not going to permanently stop Melody from marrying Cato." Indigo threw the knife, hitting it against the wall in front of her. "We need more time to think about this. To devise a plan."

"We don't have enough time!" Pastel argued. "Mother said she was going to go tomorrow to decide the date!"

"BUT WE NEED MORE FUCKING TIME!" Indigo yelled. "We are not about to ruin Mother's plans in just a few fucking weeks!"

"But why?!" Alex demanded. "Why do we need more time?!"

Indigo took a deep breath. "Because the only way we can stop this wedding from happening is if we bring another guy into it."

"Another guy?" Pastel and Alex asked simultaneously.

"Yes, another guy. Meaning, someone who Melody falls head over heels for. Someone who will get her off our backs for the time being." Indigo answered.

"All of the guys in the district know what a bitch Melody is. No one will marry her even if the Mayor bribed him. Our mother forced Cato into this relationship, no one else's parents are going to do that." Alex said.

"No, we don't need someone to marry her. Just someone to get her to leave Cato's life for a while." Indigo pulled another knife out of her pocket.

"How is that going to work?" Pastel asked, confused.

"Simple. We bring in another guy, Melody falls for him and the wedding doesn't take place. And then, we wish and pray and wish some more that this Mint girl falls in love with our brother and that he admits that he loves her as well. We'll get them married off and Melody won't be able to do anything about it. And that other dude can just leave then or whatever." Indigo explained.

Alex grinned and Pastel frowned. "We don't even know what this Mint girl is like." She said.

"Pastie, she caused Cato to smile and laugh and she healed his wound. What else do you want?" Indigo threw the second knife and gave Pastel a satisfied smile when it hit the center of Pastel's bed's headboard. "Besides, you saw how long it took Cato to choose an outfit before going to her house. It takes him two seconds to throw on anything when he goes over to Melody's."

Pastel nodded, her elder sister did have a point. "Fine, Mint it is."

Alex held up three fingers. "So, Plan A; find a guy who's willing to put up with Melody for a few months." He folded a finger. "Plan B; get Mint and Cato together, married and sent off on their honeymoon." He folded the second finger. "And Plan C; wait for a letter to tell us that there's a niece on the way." He grinned. "Perfect!"

Indigo shook her head. "No, you got it wrong. Plan A;_ pay_ a guy to put up with Melody for a few _weeks_. We won't have enough time if we don't want our scheme to get uncovered. Plan B; marry Cato and Mint off and make sure to guard their house for a couple of months just in case Melody decides to attack or our scheme gets exposed. And Plan C; wait for a letter to tell us that there's a _nephew_ on the way. Girls take forever to train properly."

Alex rolled his eyes as Indigo smiled. Pastel prayed to the Mighty Lord that everything would go according to plan and then she looked at Indigo. "Wait, how are we going to get more time to do all of this?"

Indigo grinned mischievously. "Pastel, we're getting you hitched."


	5. Chapter 5: White

**A/N: So, this is the last chapter I am posting for now and I only got this out cause Hop3lessR0mant1c was helping me. ENJOY!**

* * *

Pastel paled. "WHAT?!" She demanded.

Indigo pointed a knife at her in a threatening way. "Look, Mother and Father will be so busy planning your wedding, they'll forget about Cato's wedding for a while and that should be enough for the two to fall in love."

Pastel shook her head. "But why should_ I_ be the one getting married. Why can't you get married?"

Indigo glared at her. "Because I said so. Any other problem?" Indigo rubbed the knife against her nails. The sharp end gleamed and the blade looked shinier than any other.

Pastel gulped. "No, not at all. I can't wait to get married!" She squeaked. Alex rolled his eyes as Indigo smirked and patted Pastel's head. "Good girl. Now, we have to find a guy for you. Any dude in mind?"

Pastel wrinkled her nose. "I don't really have a _boyfriend_, you know."

"Well, sweetums, you don't have enough time to get one. We'll just find a random guy, good-looking and rich, and get you married to him. How hard can that be?" Indigo shrugged.

Pastel gave her a look of disbelief. "Have you lost your mind? I'm going to spend my entire life with my husband! You can't just get me married off to a random guy!"

"You aren't really helping so I'll have to take matters into my own hands." Indigo answered. "Besides, if he hurts you or something, I'll kill him. You have _nothing_ to worry about."

Pastel smiled weakly. "Yeah, sure. Nothing to worry about at all. Lovely."

Alex rubbed her back. "I know the perfect guy for you. He's tall, handsome, strong and all that jazz."

Indigo leaned forward. "Well, spill the beans! Who is this perfect chap?"

"Darren Van Devine." Alex answered.

Pastel scrunched up her eyebrows. "Who's he?" She asked. "I've never heard of him." She didn't notice the sly look on her sister's face. Indigo clapped her hands. "He's perfect! Good going, Alex!" She gave him a high-five.

"Who is he?" Pastel asked again.

"He's the Academy's Head Trainer's son." Indigo said quickly. "He won the 72nd Hunger Games and is a trainer at the Academy as well. He's known for his viciousness and feistiness."

The color had again drained from Pastel's face. "Then he's perfect for you, Indigo. Not me." She added a soft, "He'd probably kill me in my sleep."

"No he won't. I've heard he's quite the romantic. Searching for the perfect girl and all." Indigo grinned. "And everyone in the District knows that Pastel Irone is the only girl who comes close to perfect. So, he'll be delighted to marry you!"

Alex nodded in agreement. "And I bet you would have the cutest kids." He added.

Pastel shuddered. "He's known for his viciousness and feistiness? How in the world am I-"

"Relax Pastel." Indigo cut in. "You'll meet him tomorrow morning. You'll flutter your long eyelashes at him and _viola_! He'll be on his knees in no time, begging you to marry him!"

Pastel didn't answer as Indigo and Alex talked about the various achievements of Darren Van Devine. She sighed slowly, hoping that this Darren person wasn't as vicious as her siblings were painting him to be.

* * *

Darren arrived early the next morning. Pastel nearly fainted when she saw his cold, blue eyes and spiked, black hair. His face was tanned and he was wearing the trainer's uniform for District 2. His muscles were well defined through the red and black shirt. Indigo greeted him with a wide grin and he missed the mischievous glint in her eyes. He gave Alex a simple nod and Cato a small smile. Pastel didn't step into the living room until Indigo politely excused herself and went storming up the stairs. "What are you doing in your room?!" She yelled when she saw Pastel sitting on her bed.

"I can't go down there!" Pastel shouted back. "He'll kill me!"

"No. He. Won't." Indigo gritted her teeth. "Get your ass down there."

Pastel shook her head stubbornly. "Nuh-uh."

"Pastel! We are doing this for our baby brother!" Indigo flung her arms into the air to emphasize her point. "Think about Cato."

Pastel frowned and then took a deep breath. "Fine, fine. I'll go downstairs. Even though I'm sure Darren will snap my neck in two when he finds out I'm the only one in the family who didn't go to the Academy."

Indigo ignored her and pushed her out of the door. She dragged her to the living room and then smiled broadly at Darren. "May I introduce, my younger sister, Pastel." She said and pushed Pastel forward. Pastel swallowed hard before managing a nervous smile. "Hi." She whispered.

Darren raised an eyebrow and gave Pastel the once-over. He stood up from where he was sitting and smiled a cold smile. "Hello, I'm not sure I've met you before. Did you go to the Academy?"

Pastel looked at Indigo who was sending her death glares and then looked at Alex who was urging her to say something with his hands._ "Answer him."_ He mouthed.

"Uh, yeah, about that..." Pastel began. "Ikindofdidn't."

Darren nodded slowly. "That explains why we haven't met. I'm Darren Van Devine. Call me Darren."

"And I'm Pastel Irone." Pastel shook his outstretched hand. "Simple Pastel will do."

Indigo grinned. "Well, Cato and I have to go somewhere, so we'll talk to you later!" She exclaimed and then grabbed Cato's arm before pulling him out of the room. Alex looked at the entrance and quickly winked at Pastel. "Yeah, I have to go somewhere too." He ran out of the room as well leaving a near-tears Pastel and a confused Darren behind. Pastel sniffed while Darren turned to look at her. "Are you _crying_?" He asked in a skeptic tone.

"No." Pastel sniffed again. "I'm not crying." She admitted bitterly.

"So, what do you like to do?" Darren sat on the sofa while Pastel looked at the entrance to the living room, hoping Indigo or Alex would come back for her. But of course they didn't, they were just as cruel as the male sitting in front of her. After a while, she finally decided to sit down and answer his question. "I like to cook new things." She answered.

"Cook things?" Darren was trying not to laugh. "Are you serious? What are you, a four year old?"

If there was one thing Pastel hated, it was people who acted as if she was a child. "Well, it's not my fault you're stuck with me. I'm not the one who called you to my house. Indigo did. And if I was rude, like you, I would've ditched you already. You'll have to bear me or you can just leave. And right now, I'm not liking you very much so I might just ditch you." She said and then folded her arms over her chest.

Darren was surprised. No one had ever told him to leave their house. And no one had ever talked to him like that. He narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"

Pastel instantly realized what she had said and mentally slapped herself. Oh, she was in for it. "Um, I said that... that... ifyoudon'twanttotalktome,youcanjustleave."

At the moment all Darren wanted to do was walk out of the house. How could Indigo even _expect_ him to be friends with her _girly_ sister? But something made him stay. He didn't know what or why, all he knew was that he wanted to know more about Pastel. After all, she was the first girl who had stood up to him.

Darren gave Pastel a bored look. "You really want to say that to me?" He asked.

Pastel looked up from her lap before squaring her shoulders and nodding. Darren pursed his lips and nodded. It seemed as if Pastel was very eager to get rid of him...

"Indigo!" He called out. Within seconds Indigo appeared in the doorway with an anxious looking Alex trailing behind her.

"Listen, I think it would be a great idea if I stayed for dinner." Darren suggested with a smile. Pastel couldn't believe it. She gave Darren a look of disbelief before squeezing her eyes shut.

"That would be perfect." Indigo exclaimed and gave Pastel the thumbs up. Then she dragged Alex back upstairs. Darren turned back to look at Pastel with a devious smile. Pastel glared at him before getting up off the couch and stomping away like a two year old. Darren, like an annoying brother, followed her out and up the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked with a smirk.

"Somewhere, far, far away from you." Pastel mumbled and continued up the stairs and toward her room. As she walked down the hall, Cato passed by. He shot Darren a look that only a very protective little brother could give before heading down the stairs. He was going over to Brutus's house once again with a package. Of course that wasn't his only reason for accepting his father's request eagerly. He wanted to see Mint again. Slowly, but surely Cato was starting to realize he wasn't getting Mint out of his head anytime soon. She was like a breath of fresh air for him. He could think around her without being afraid of his thoughts... and he liked that.

"Hey, where are you going?" Alex asked as he saw Cato.

"Um, to Brutus's... I have a package for him from dad." Cato answered a bit nervously.

Alex raised his eyebrows at him before smiling and sliding something into Cato's hand. When he looked down, Cato saw a White Lilly.

"What's that for?" He asked Alex as he gripped the flower.

Alex simply winked. Cato nodded slowly and said goodbye to his brother before heading outside. He walked as fast as he could to Brutus's house and by the time he could see it, he was practically jogging. When he got to the door he took a deep breath and fixed his tie. He knocked twice and waited patiently, hoping Mint would open the door. Instead, Brutus answered the door.

"I have a package for you, sir. From my father." Cato handed the white package to the elder man. Brutus took it in his hands and set it down before beginning to shut the door.

"Wait, sir." Cato said quickly. Brutus gritted his teeth, but opened the door again. "Yes?"

"Um, is Mint home?" He asked.

Brutus's face paled. "And what interest do you have with Mint?"

Cato swallowed hard. "I, uh, just wanted to say hi."

Brutus bent down, his face only inches away from the blonde victor's. "Stay away from my niece. She ain't anything but a piece of dirt."

The color drained from Cato's face but he managed to say, "No she isn't. If you knew her better, you would know that she's an amazing person."

Brutus licked his bottom lip. "What relationship do you have with her?"

"We're friends." Cato answered.

"Just friends, eh?" Brutus asked. "Keep it that way." And then he slammed the door shut.

Cato sighed before turning around. Just as he was about to leave, something hit the back of his neck. Cato looked up and grinned when he saw Mint waving at him from a window. She placed a finger on her lips indicating for Cato to stay quiet and then gestured towards the back. Cato frowned and then nodded as he realized she meant the back door. He quickly walked to the back side of the house and a while later the door opened. Mint slipped out and smiled before engulfing Cato in a warm hug. Cato smiled too and wrapped his arms around Mint. "Wow, you act as if we're long lost friends, meeting after years."

Mint pulled away and shrugged. "It has been a while, don't you think?"

"Yeah." Cato answered and then handed Mint the Lilly. Mint blinked twice, gazing at the Lilly in wonder and then looked up. "What is it?"

Cato raised an eyebrow. "It's a Lilly, they're a type of flower."

Mint looked at the flower again. "It's beautiful. Thank you." She said and gave Cato a kiss on the cheek. Cato turned bright red. "W-what was that for?"

"Aren't you supposed to thank someone by kissing their cheek?" Mint asked. "That's what my mother told me."

A small smile appeared on Cato's face. Mint clutched the Lilly and then leaned closer. Cato could smell chocolate and roses as Mint whispered, "Good bye, for now. I'll see you in the afternoon."

Cato nodded. "Definitely." He promised.


	6. Chapter 6: Purple

**A/N: TWIST! Guess what? In this chapter you'll find out that our dear Cato and dearest Mint have...-suspenseful music-... ELOPED! Holy... **

**Read on to find out how THAT happened.**

**Oh and the rating has moved up since we will be adding, um, _lemons_, later on.**

**And another thing, Writer With No Words, you are so on. **

* * *

Morning light seeped through the curtains all too soon and Cato flipped over to his right side with an exasperated groan. He tried to get comfortable with the covers pulled over his head but it didn't work. Finally, he pulled them off and his hand hit the sleeping figure besides him. Cato shot up and then took a deep breath, memories of the past day returning to him. He looked back at Mint and sighed before tucking the covers under her chin and pushing back the few strands of hair that were on her face. As he watched her sleep, he remembered how this had happened. How he had ended up marrying Mint.

**_A day earlier..._**

_Cato walked back to his house, a happy smile on his face. Mint had liked the Lilly and he was ecstatic. She had actually kissed him too. Cato rubbed the spot on his cheek where he had felt her soft lips and then stepped inside the house. And that's when he realized something was wrong. There was complete silence in the house. Usually his house would be filled with the screams and shouts of Indigo and Alex wrestling or of Pastel yelling at the two to stop. Cato frowned and walked to the living room where he was met by a sight he had never seen before in his life. Pastel was crying and Alex was trying to comfort her while Indigo sat on the sofa next to them, a grim expression on her face. They saw Cato and instantly Pastel's cries grew worse and even Indigo looked like she was about to burst in tears._

_"W-what happened?" Cato asked as dread filled him._

_Indigo patted the space next to him and answered in a hoarse voice, "Come here."_

_Cato sat down and his elder siblings turned to him. "Indigo, tell him." Alex urged._

_Indigo took a deep breath and sniffed. "Look, Cato, we didn't want you to marry Melody." She began. Cato cringed at the mention of Melody. He had completely forgot about her; the cause of all of his second worst nightmares, first being about the Hunger Games and losing his best friend, Clove._

_"And we thought if Pastel got proposed to then Mother and Father would start planning her wedding and you would be able to get more time." Indigo paused._

_"Get more time for what?" Cato questioned._

_Indigo looked at Alex who nodded. "We were hoping you and... and Mint would fall in love during the time and get married." Alex explained._

_Cato blinked twice. "You wanted..." He narrowed his eyes. "You wanted me to marry Mint?"_

_"She understood you, Cato." Pastel admitted tearfully. "And she made you smile and laugh even though you'd known her for only a while. She is the only one we trusted who could take care of you."_

_Cato didn't say anything as he tried to digest the information his brother and sisters had just given him. Marry Mint? His parents would never allow it. They would want to know her family background, which he didn't even know, and her 'status in society'. And Brutus would never allow it either after the short conversation they had had. But then, the more he thought of it, the more Cato liked the idea. Mint would be the perfect wife. She was so bubbly and sweet and it didn't matter to him that she had never stepped out of the house. Or she didn't know about simple things like the various types flowers. Cato caught himself just in time before he started thinking about what kind of mother she would make._

_Indigo and Alex were watching their younger brother as various expressions flickered on his face and then Indigo spoke. "But we couldn't find anyone who would propose to Pastel so soon and suddenly. There was Darren, our last hope, but he wanted to date her first. And that too for a year or two."_

_Cato watched as Pastel burst into a fresh set of tears. "I'm so sorry, Cato. I tried, I really did." She sniffed. Cato wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer._

_"I know you did, Pastel." He whispered against her hair. "It's okay."_

_Indigo looked at the two and then nodded at Alex. He inhaled slowly and nodded back. "Cato, we thought up of something else that could save you from marrying Melody."_

_Cato glanced up at Alex before placing a kiss on Pastel's hair. He gestured towards Alex to continue. Alex smiled slightly. "We thought that maybe you could marry Mint now."_

_Cato paled. "Wait, what?"_

_"You could ask her to marry you." Indigo said. "And we could meet her and explain why. We'll have to do this before Mother and Father come home."_

_"Mother and Father wouldn't allow it." Cato sighed. Mint would make a way better wife than Melody. He definitely would prefer to marry Mint rather then Melody. "I don't know that much about her anyway. Besides, what if she refuses? She hardly knows me. We just happen to be friends."_

_"We'll tell her why you want to marry her." Alex licked his lips. "And with the way you've described her, it seems as if she'd be willing to help anyone in a crisis."_

_Indigo took Cato's hand in hers. "If there was another girl in the district, we would ask her. But right now, every girl here is obsessed about your money or your looks. Mint doesn't seem like that kind of girl."_

_"She's not." Cato gave her a small smile before saying, "But how will we get married? Mother won't allow it and that'll ruin everything."_

_"And that is why you will run away and get married." Indigo shifted in her seat slightly. "You'll take Mint to that one church which is at the edge of the District. You know, the one no one uses anymore but still has that old Priest living there. You get married to her while Alex quickly gets the rings. And then you come home to spill the beans to the parents." The glint was back in Indigo's eyes._

_"What about Brutus? He's made it quite clear that he doesn't want me anywhere near his niece." Cato rubbed Pastel's back soothingly as his elder sister continued to sob._

_"He wouldn't know. He's at the Capitol for a few days, meeting up with Seneca Crane for God knows what." Alex ran a hand through his hair. "We have a few days. And when he finds out, he won't be able to do anything because legally you'll be Mint's husband."_

_Cato bit his bottom lip. "And then the whole District would turn against us, right?" He huffed._

_"Wrong." Indigo answered. "We'll go to the Mayor's house right after the wedding and tell him everything. He'll announce it as a legal marriage, kick Mother and Father out of the house and you two will be able to live happily ever after."_

_"Melody is the Mayor's daughter." Cato grumbled. It seemed as if all of the worst case scenarios were playing in his mind._

_"Not by blood." Pastel straightened her back and pulled away, her face tear-stained and her eyes surprisingly dry. "Melody is his wife's daughter from her first marriage. And with the way she is, he obviously doesn't love her. And you know how much he adores your guts."_

_Cato nodded slowly. If marrying Mint would save him from marrying Melody, he would definitely do it. And apart from that, if he didn't marry Mint, who else could light up his world like she did?_

* * *

_Indigo informed them over the phone that Brutus was at the Capitol. Cato took a deep breath before knocking on the door to his (hopefully) future bride's house. Mint opened the door with a beaming face and she exclaimed, "You're back!"_

_Cato heard Alex let out a low whistle behind him and he stepped on his foot. Mint tilted her head when she saw smiling Pastel and cursing-while-clutching-his-foot, Alex. "Are they your siblings?" She asked._

_"Uh, yeah." Cato answered, suddenly feeling as if the idea was not the best thing to do._

_Pastel stepped in before Cato decided to faint. "We want to talk to you about something, is it alright if we come inside?"_

_"Of course." Mint said with a bright smile and ushered them inside. She led them to the sitting room and the three siblings sat down. Pastel cleared her throat and then told Mint everything, starting from Melody and Cato's first date all of the way to what was going on. Mint's blue eyes widened when Pastel told her of their plan. She concluded with, "Please, you're the only one who knows Cato for who he is even if you've only met him for a short time." The elder sister of the blonde Victor was crying again._

_Mint looked at Cato. "You want to marry me?"_

_Cato nodded._

_"So that you won't have to marry Melody?"_

_"Yes. But also because there's no one else in the District who sees me from the eyes you do. You don't judge me for what I did. For how many innocent children I killed. You don't care about how rich I am or the fact that I am a Victor. You see me for me."_

_Mint smiled. "I see you for who you really are because who you really are is more beautiful than what others make you out as." She paused. "Uncle Brutus will be angry. Very angry."_

_"He will." Alex agreed. "But if you have the Mayor on your side, he won't be able to do anything. And you have us three too. Indigo would kill anyone who laid even a finger on you."_

_"Can friends get married?" Mint asked Cato._

_Cato grinned. "Friends are the ones who usually get married later on."_

_"I could show you the District." Pastel suggested. "I could tell you everything you never knew from being holed up here. You could be free."_

_And that was what made Mint agree to the Irone Siblings' Crazy idea. The freedom._

* * *

_Cato and Mint were wed in the small church. The Priest was excited to know that a young couple were asking him to marry them and he happily agreed for no one ever visited his church. When he reached the altar, he asked Cato, "No parents? Or guests?"_

_Cato swallowed hard. "We're kind of in a hurry. My parents are, um, they're decorating the house."_

_The Priest nodded and Cato fidgeted in the black suit Alex had forced him to marry. "Just because you're getting married in such a hurry doesn't mean I'm going to let you get hitched in rags." Pastel had said while pulling Mint away to get her a dress and a veil. Indigo was getting the flowers. Alex ran through the doors and took his place next to his younger brother. He was the best man and the ring bearer. Indigo came next and stood on the other side, playing her role as the Bridesmaid in a light pink dress she clearly hated. And that's when Pastel walked in with Mint. Cato felt his cheeks turning red as he caught a glimpse of his bride-to-be. She looked beautiful, to put it simply. Pastel had dressed her in a light purple dress that had dark purple Lilacs running down the front, a dress she had worn before but Cato thought suited the bride more than his sister. Her hair was in a bun with Lilac clips holding the hairstyle together. And then there was the white veil which covered her face and fell down her back. She joined him at the alter and Cato smiled when he realized she was bright red._

_And they were married. Simple golden bands glinted on their fingers and their faces had turned even more red after the kiss they had shared in the end. Pastel was holding a crying Indigo and Alex hugged Mint who laughed. The Priest was crying in joy for he had finally been given an oppurtunity to marry someone off. He left soon after, leaving Indigo to hug Mint and then warn Cato that if he ever hurt her sister-in-law, she would kill him in more ways than one. Alex nudged Cato with a sly smirk towards Mint, earning him a punch in the stomach, while Pastel and Indigo told Mint about all they had planned for them to do together. Pastel had had to pull Mint all of the way to the church because she had been so eager to see the birds and walk in the green meadows and dip her feet in the cold pond. But now that she had finally married their brother, they were willing to take her anywhere._

_Alex rubbed his stomach and announced, "Now, who wants to meet the Mayor?"_

* * *

_The Mayor was surprised, to say the least, when he found out what had happened. Cato had heaved a sigh of relief when he found out that his parents were at the Mayor's house and not his office where the Mayor was._

_"You did this because you didn't want to marry my step-daughter?" The Mayor asked._

_Cato took Mint's hand. "Yes and no." He told him how Mint treated him and what was the real reason to their marriage. The Mayor smiled slowly and got up from his chair. He hugged Cato and then kissed Mint's forehead as Pastel, Indigo and Alex tried to conceal their relief._

_"Then you shouldn't have come." The Mayor said. "The reason why you married this young lady is enough. Your marriage is welcome, my son. Forget about what Melody will do. She will move on. If I had known that you did not want to marry her, I would never have let my wife and your mother go through with it."_

_"Now, let me get the Marriage Certificate and we will announce your wedding tomorrow." The Mayor patted Cato's head._

_"Thank you." Cato said. "Thank you so much."_

_"No need. You are as much my son as Melody is my daughter. Go home and enjoy your first day together. Everything will be taken care of." The Mayor picked a flower out of the vase that was on his desk. " I will send you your wedding presents later, but for now, this rose shall do." He handed the rose to Mint. "Take care of my son."_

_Mint nodded as Cato squeezed her hand. As they stepped out of the office, Alex rubbed his hands together, "All that's left is the parents."_

* * *

_His parents were angry. His father cursed his son and then stormed out of the house saying that he couldn't stay there for a moment longer. His mother was angrier. She yelled and screamed and finally stopped her cold, icy, hateful eyes on the wide-eyed and shaken Mint. "You trapped my son! You forced him to marry you! You are nothing but a poor-"_

_"Mother, that's enough!" Cato shouted. His anger visible in his blazing eyes. "You and Father will leave this house and go back to Father's Victor house."_

_"You dare kick me out of the house? I am the lady of this house and I say who stays and who leaves!" Stephanie screamed._

_"No you are not." Alex said calmly. "Mint is. This is Cato's house. If you have a problem with that, we can call the Mayor."_

_"I will not accept her as my daughter-in-law." Stephanie sneered._

_"You don't have to." Indigo answered. "Now get out before I make you."_

_"You. Will. Pay." Stephanie hissed at Mint before leaving._

_Indigo glared at the door where her mother had disappeared to and growled in frustration before muttering, "I need to go kill something." She felt her pocket for the knives she kept and left._

_Alex sighed. "I'll make sure she stays alive." He followed her out of the house._

_"I'll get you guys something to eat." Pastel said and walked to the kitchen. An annoyed and angry Cato plopped down on a sofa and dropped his head in his hands. Mint sat down next to him. She watched him silently before wrapping her arms around his tense form and placing a kiss on the side of his neck. Cato looked up wearily. "I'm sorry about what my mother said."_

_"That's not a problem. I'm used to it." She let out a small laugh. "Now what?"_

_"Now," Cato shrugged. "Now, we get used to the fact that we're married. And that I am officially your husband and you are my wife."_

_Mint nodded, her arms still around Cato's torso. "Can I ask you something?"_

_"Sure." Cato pulled her closer, enjoying the warmth and comfort her presence provided._

_"Does being married mean that we have to have... babies?" Mint's cheeks had turned pink at her question._

_Cato froze before gaping at the brunette. "Babies? Um, not if you don't want to." He answered quickly._

_"And if I do?" Mint asked._

_"Then, then we'll take it one step at a time." Cato said. "I don't have anything against babies either, you know."_

_Mint nodded, content with his answer. _

**_Present..._**

Cato felt Mint stir and he looked at her. Her eyes blinked open and she looked slightly confused at seeing Cato before smiling. "Good morning." She whispered and rubbed her eyes.

"Good morning." He whispered back and placed his head on the pillow. He turned so he could see her and felt her hand find his. She intertwined their fingers and moved closer.

Cato leaned forward and kissed her cheek. They hadn't shared a kiss on the lips since they had been wed, both of them being too shy to do so. And the night had been simply spent with their arms around one another. Cato didn't want to rush things. He wanted to take it slowly, starting from where they had left off as friends. He wanted her to fall for him completely before they did anything. So that when they were ready, it would be all lust and love, no regrets. However if Mint wanted him to conceive a child with her, he would do so. Because deep down, he wanted to experience that lust and love.


	7. Chapter 7: Black

**A/N: This chapter contains sexual content. And it's long too... Enjoy!**

* * *

Cato walked into the kitchen, hearing Pastel's soft humming as she cooked breakfast and Alex's muttering of how much he hated being woken in the morning so he could hand Pastel tomatoes and bloody frying pans. Pastel smiled when she saw her younger brother and Alex heaved a sigh of relief before shoving a spatula in his hands. "The omelets." He said and plopped down on a chair before tilting his head. "So, how was last night?"

Cato frowned and laid the spatula down on the counter. "Meaning?"

Alex grinned evilly. "You know... Newlyweds and all."

Cato paled. "Alex, there was nothing like that. I'm not going to attack her."

Alex shrugged. "Are you sure it's because of that?" Cato furrowed his eyebrows as Alex continued. "Or is it because of that mark Melody left you?"

Cato's eyes widened as he instantly remembered that night, a year ago. When he had been brutal and cold, acting as if he hadn't a care for the world. The night when the Mayor had arranged for a ball in honor of the tributes that had been chosen for the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

_Cato laughed as Clove told him the story of how she had gotten the scar on her arm. "You actually let him get the better of you?" Cato asked with an amused smile._

_"Nah, I knew he wouldn't win. I just wanted to have a little fun." Clove answered. She was wearing a poofy pink dress that Cato had nicknamed 'The Humiliating Cupcake Dress'. Her partner was dressed in a black suit with his blonde hair gelled to perfection and his eyes hard as ever. Clove began another story and then stopped abruptly. _

_"Hey, what's up?" Cato asked, noticing how she had fallen silent. _

_"Melody is ogling." Clove's voice was bitter and had a hint of over-protectiveness, the tone she saved for her many younger brothers. _

_Cato looked up to see the Mayor's daughter steal another glance. She was wearing a short, tight black dress and the black eyeshadow gave her eyes a smoky touch. Her lips were a too-bright red and she wore five-inch long silver high heels. Cato laughed a cold laugh. "She looks hideous with all of that makeup on." _

_"Oh, since when have you started fancying the au naturel look?" Clove gave him a smirk. _

_"Since I saw that ugly hag with the ink black eyelids and bloody lips." Cato hadn't noticed that Melody had disappeared from where she had been standing and was now behind the two future tributes. _

_"I'm assuming that 'hag' is me." _

_Cato and Clove whirled around to be confronted with the tall female who was twirling a strand of her curled hair around her finger. Clove nearly started laughing and Cato managed to pull a smirk onto his face. "How did you ever figure that one out, Melody?" His tone was sarcastic._

_Melody scowled, her blood-red lipstick looking even worse close up than from afar. "I don't know what I'm going to tell my father when he asks if I had a good time or not." She growled. "My own boyfriend ditched me for some shortie in a pink tutu." _

_Clove got ready to retort but Cato beat her to it. "Tut, tut, tut, Melody. You know better than to insult Clove in front of me." His icy blue eyes seeming as if they were watching Melody die painfully... and enjoying it. _

_"Hotel room 560. Be there, or else." Melody hissed into Cato's ear as she made her way out the door. Cato's face scrunched up as he recalled her words and then grabbed a glass of vodka from a nearby waiter before gulping it down. "Bitch." He mumbled. _

_"I don't see why you put up with her." Clove muttered. _

_Cato smirked again, this time a bit playfully. "She's got those legs." _

_Clove rolled her eyes. "You and your sexual adventures. Why do they even bother sleeping with you when they know they'll only last a week at most?"_

_"Because I'm sexy, Clover." Cato grinned. "Girls swoon when they catch a glimpse of me." _

_"Right. The handsome Cato being God's Gift To Women, I nearly forgot." Clove snatched the glass from Cato's hand before he could drink himself insane. "I will personally make sure your wife teaches you a good few lessons." _

_"Wife?" Cato raised an eyebrow. "As if I'm ever going to get married. That'd be cruel to the female population of Panem." _

_"You really think you can beat Finnick Odair?" Clove smiled. "Now that's what I call sexy." She loved piercing her best friend's ego._

_"Shut up Clover." Cato grumbled. "No one can compare to what I've got." _

_"That ginormous ego?" Clove winked. "True that." _

_He ignored her as she laughed mockingly._

* * *

_"You're late." Melody whispered into Cato's ear as he entered the dark hotel room. Her dress lay discarded on the floor and her face had been transformed to that of a seductress's. She grabbed Cato and pushed him against the wall, yanking his shirt and tie off. Cato growled in anger when she ripped his favorite shirt but didn't say anything as Melody began kissing him furiously. His pants came off next as Melody dug her nails into Cato's back, scaring and bruising him. _

_"Fuck me." Melody's voice was hoarse. "Fuck me hard."_

_And he did just that. She didn't moan his name, she screamed. And she ordered him to fuck harder. In the end she smirked and bit him. Right in the middle of his chest. _

_"That will leave a bloody mark." Cato growled. _

_"Just to remind you that," She narrowed her eyes, "You. Are. Mine." _

_And he pushed inside her again, deeper than before. Harder and angrier than before. And she screamed in pleasure until hot liquid erupted from both of them and their bodies slumped against the wall. _

* * *

Cato's mind swirled as memories of the past rushed back to him. Suddenly he wasn't standing in the kitchen anymore, he was holding Clove's immobile body. And then she was gone and he was clutching the cause of the deaths of so many innocent teenagers, his sword. He was laughing in the face of a dying tribute and joking with Clove about another tribute's death.

Cato gripped the side of the counter, his knuckles white and his eyes clouded. He felt someone's gentle touch on his arm and a soft voice calling his name. And he saw blood, a dead tribute, hollow eyes. Cato grabbed the hand that had reached out to him and gripped it tightly, his nails digging deeply into the pale skin and his ears deaf to the calls of his name.

"...Please stop." He heard faintly. Cato blinked twice and his vision began clearing. He was still in the kitchen. Blinking again, he looked around to see a scared Pastel and a wide-eyed Alex looking at him. Indigo had a concerned look on her face. And then he saw her. Mint's blue eyes were watery as blood slid down the sides of her hand. Cato instantly let go when he realized what he had done.

His breathing hitched as he said, "God, I-I'm so sorry. I-I..." He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"It's okay." Mint answered. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just..." Cato's voice trailed off.

Alex was the first to leave, followed by Pastel and then Indigo. Cato didn't look at Mint, too afraid to confront the hurt in her eyes. "You should take care of that." He whispered finally.

Mint smiled and placed a hand on his cheek, making him look at her. "I'm more worried about you." She rubbed his temple with her good hand. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Cato looked down at Mint and sighed. He knew now that they were married and his secrets were hers as well, but it was rejection that Cato feared. He didn't want to empty all of his memories on her. What if Melody and their very physical past relationship scared her off? What if what Cato had done during the Hunger Games scared her off? Then all of this would disappear and Cato wouldn't wake up to the fact that Mint was his wife and he didn't have to be scared of Melody anymore.

"Cato, what are you thinking?" Mint asked as she wrapped her arms around her husband. Cato felt comforted by her touch and in return he slid an arm around her small waist, holding her tightly against his body. He had never felt this close to someone before and now he was holding onto this petite girl as if his life depended on it.

It must have been the heated memory. Or maybe it was the feeling of Mint's warm and very feminine body next to his. Cato lifted Mint's face and kissed her. She was startled, to say the least. And she nearly pushed him back but his grip on her tightened and his hands ran down her waist as she clutched his shirt, feeling emotions she had never felt before. Cato licked the bottom of her lip, hoping for entrance and Mint pulled away. "What are you doing?" She asked while tilting her head. The concept of kissing had never been clear to her and it was only yesterday she had found out that kissing on the lips was something only a man and a woman very much in love should do.

Cato scrunched up his eyebrows, willing his face not to turn red in embarrassment. Had she not liked the kiss? He had to admit, it had certainly put him in the mood.

"I'm sorry I didn't-" He began but Mint cut him off.

"Why are you sorry? I liked that." She smiled as her cheeks flushed. "I just don't know why you" -she gestured towards her bottom lip- "did that."

Relief washed over Cato when he realized she probably didn't know what French kissing was and that she hadn't hated the kiss. He grinned and pulled her closer. "When I lick the bottom of your lip, you're supposed to open your mouth." He explained.

"Why?" She asked innocently.

"I'll show you." And he kissed her again. This time when he licked her lip, she didn't open her mouth again. Cato growled in frustration, feeling very horny indeed, as Mint clasped her lips shut. It was only a moment later he realized she was probably afraid as it was a new feeling for her. Cato placed his lips firmly on hers and coaxed her lips open. She tried and failed miserably in clamping them shut as Cato gained entrance to her mouth. His tongue met hers and he felt her tense up underneath his touch. After a while, she calmed down and allowed his tongue to play with hers. When he pulled away, he picked her up bridal style and walked to their bedroom.

"I can't control myself anymore." He whispered, his voice hoarse.

Mint didn't understand what he meant. She was about to ask when he placed her on the bed and locked the door. Mint watched him pull the curtains together and then he was kissing her again. He pushed her onto the bed and climbed up over her, his knees on either side of her shaking body and his hands on the sides of her head. His hands made their way to the bottom of her shirt and he began tugging it. That's when Mint realized what was happening. She instantly pulled away, her blue eyes wide and scared. She didn't say anything as Cato searched her face for the reason why she had pulled away so quickly.

"I don't know how to do this." Mint admitted finally.

Cato cupped her face. "I'm going to go slowly. I'll show you how." He pushed back her hair. "Tell me if it hurts and I'll stop."

He pulled off her shirt and then worked her jeans. His shirt and pants came off next. Mint shivered as the cold air hit her body and Cato moved his body so that it was comfortably covering hers in a warm blanket. He kissed her again and then slid his lips to her jaw, making his way down her neck. After a while of biting and sucking, Cato looked at the trail of bruises that ran down Mint's neck to her collarbone. It felt good, marking her as his own. He looked up and saw Mint's eyes squeezed shut. "Open your eyes." He said softly.

Mint did as he said and Cato smiled before pulling off the remaining piece of clothing on her chest. Mint closed her eyes again and Cato sighed. "I told you I wasn't going to hurt you. Please open your eyes."

Mint opened them again and instantly noticed the mark on his chest. She rubbed it gently. "What happened?"

Cato licked his bottom lip. "Can we not talk about it right now? I want to focus on you."

Mint nodded and smiled while Cato gave her a few Eskimo kisses. He began placing light and feathery kisses on her stomach, making his way up to her breasts. Her breasts weren't overly large, like Melody's. But they weren't small either. They were in-between and for Cato, they were perfect. He kissed both of her breasts and lightly touched them. Mint sighed and Cato continued his journey upwards. Taking a nipple into his mouth, he bit it, causing Mint to jolt upwards and squeeze her eyes shut again. He bit it again, knowing that Mint was enjoying this new sensation. His other hand played with her other nipple, both now swollen. He took the other one between his teeth and tugged lightly. After a while of playing with her breasts, Cato pushed up. "Ready?" He asked.

Mint didn't answer as Cato pulled off her underwear and then his boxers. He grinned when he saw she was wet. Mint noticed and asked. "Is that normal?"

"Yes, yes it is." Cato answered and ran his hand down her inner thigh, biting down onto the pale skin so that he could mark her there too. His fingers found her moist clitoris and he rubbed it. He felt Mint's hands slip through his hair, tugging it when he rubbed a bit harder. Finally, he realized he was hard enough. With one gentle push he was inside her. She felt wonderfully tight around him, a tight he wasn't quite used to.

Mint's eyes flew open and she dug her nails into Cato's back, willing herself not to scream. The pain was intense and as she pushed her hands on his back, trying to control her scream, she pushed him deeper inside too. Tears trickled down her cheeks, falling onto the bedsheet. After a very painful moment, Mint couldn't take it anymore. "Stop! Please!" She screamed.

Cato slid his arms around her and rubbed her back soothingly. "It'll fade away. I promise." He kissed her tears and then kissed her lips chastely.

After a while, Cato felt Mint's nails pull out of his back as she relaxed. The tears stopped and she fell back onto the bed. As hot liquid burst from Cato into Mint, her head fell deeper into the pillow. Cato pushed her hair off of her forehead. "Better?"

Mint nodded and rubbed the long scratches she had left on Cato's back.

"Would you like to do it again?" Cato asked a bit hopefully.

Mint was reluctant. There was still a throbbing pain between her legs but she didn't want Cato to think she hadn't enjoyed it. She had, after the pain had resided. "Maybe in a while."

Cato seemed content with her answer. He kissed her over and over again and then taught her how to give a hickey. She painfully marked him on the neck. "Did it hurt too much?" She asked worriedly, noticing Cato's pursed lips.

"Not too much."

He asked her to kiss it better. She fell asleep later after they had made love twice more.

* * *

Cato lay there with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling. What had just happened was the best moment of his life. Sure he was no virgin, but something about the moment had made him feel like one. He looked down and gazed at Mint who had fallen asleep in his arms. Cato pushed a few fallen strands of hair from her face and marvelled at how peaceful she looked. If anyone could see her now they would think she belonged in the Capitol because a girl as innocent as her didn't look like she came from a bloodthirsty District like 2. Cato ran his hand over her shoulder and down her slim side, tracing her skin. His hand ventured further down her thin legs and he skimmed her inner thigh, feeling one of the marks he had left on her. He smiled at the thought that he had done that. That he had been her first and he would be her last. When his blue eyes looked back at her face, Cato found that she was awake and watching him with a small smile on her face.

"I'm sorry if I woke you." He whispered as he felt his neck heat up. Mint reached up, tracing her own mark she had left on his shoulder during the last moments of their heated love making session. A low growl came from Cato as he closed his eyes, savoring the way her fingers ran over the bite mark on his shoulder.

"Did you know that hurt?" He whispered. Mint rubbed the mark and then moved closer to him. She buried her face in his strong chest. Cato's stomach rumbled and Mint looked up, a giggle escaping her lips.

"We never really did get to eat those omelets." Cato said as his stomach rumbled again.

"Do you want me to cook you something?" Mint asked and Cato nodded enthusiastically. Mint rolled over and pushed herself off the bed, taking the sheet with her.

"Hey!" Cato exclaimed as the cold air hit his warm and very bare skin. Mint wrapped the sheet around her own bare body and smiled. Cato grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the bed. Mint pushed him away, causing him to fall back, and ran out of the room wearing only a sheet.

Cato grinned and jumped to his feet, pulling on his pants before racing after her. He paused outside the door, trying to judge which way she had gone when he heard her unmistakable giggle come from the left. He followed her laugh through the hallways until he smirked and slid into a hallway closet. He waited quietly as the laughter paused.

"Cato?" He heard her whisper. Mint stood with her hands clutching the sheets to her chest, waiting for Cato to run around the corner. She bit her bottom lip and tiptoed back down the hall. She peeked around the corner, surprised when she didn't see him. She could have sworn he was right behind her. She walked to the next hallway and paused, her breathing coming in quick gasps as she wondered where her husband had gone. She didn't have time to react when Cato lunged from the closet, wrapping his arms around her waist and hauling her up over his shoulder.

"Cato! Put me down!" Mint exclaimed as Cato carried her down the stairs and into the kitchen. He sat her down on the counter before pulling out two glasses from a cupboard and pouring orange juice in them. He handed Mint a glass and gave her a few Eskimo kisses before taking a sip.

"I'm holding you against your promise." Cato said after a while.

"Give me a second for my heart to return to its normal beating pace and then I'll cook us some pancakes." Mint raised her glass to her lips, enjoying the taste of the fresh juice running down her dry throat.

"Cato, are Alex, Indigo and Pastel staying with us?" Mint asked him after a while. Cato paused and set his glass down. He had never really thought about what his siblings were going to do. Right now they were probably at the Academy.

"I'm not sure." He answered. "Why?"

"Because I want them to stay." Mint wiped her mouth with a tissue. "I like them here."

Cato smiled and opened his mouth to say something when the doorbell rang. The young couple froze realizing that they weren't exactly wearing proper clothing. Cato, being the guy he was, decided his clothing was fine and started walking towards the door. Mint's eyes widened and she set her glass down before racing after him. She grabbed his arm and tried to tug him towards the stairs.

"Coming!" She yelled at whoever was at the door. And then she turned to Cato. "You can't open the door looking like that!"

"But I look fine!" Cato whispered back, a smirk playing on his face. He couldn't help but chuckle at the brunette clinging to his arm.

"Oh no!" She shook her head.

Cato grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, engulfing her in warmth. Mint let out a small shriek and struggled in his arms. Just then the door flew open. Frozen in shock, a very red and very out of words Melody took in the scene. Cato half-naked holding onto a petite brunette who wore nothing but a white sheet. Cato's arms tightened around Mint as his eyes hardened. Mint let go of him and clutched the slipping sheet to her chest. None of the three said anything until Mint whispered, "Cato, can you please let me go?" He noticed her red cheeks.

"I don't think I want an explanation." Melody folded her arms across her chest, glaring at the other two.

"I wasn't about to give you one." Cato answered. He bent down and pressed his face against Mint's neck, whispering something. Mint nodded and Cato let go of her. She raced up the stairs and returned a moment later wearing a blue summer dress and holding a shirt for Cato. Cato slipped it on and thanked Mint with a kiss. "Why are you here?" He asked Melody.

"Because I just found out that my boyfriend had gotten married to..." She looked at Mint in disgust.

"Ex-boyfriend, Melody." Cato corrected. Mint realized with a start that the girl standing in front of her was Melody. Melody smirked and stepped inside.

"Let's talk about this." Melody said and closed the door behind her.

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh. Melody is mad. And when she gets mad, all hell breaks loose...**


	8. Chapter 8: Silver

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! You guys make our day! Now, here's the next, very late, update. We hope you all like it :) **

* * *

Melody didn't need an invitation. She barged into the living room and elegantly sat down onto the sofa. Cato followed stiffly and Mint sat across from Melody. They didn't say anything and then Melody smiled. "It's so nice to see you again, dear cousin."

Cato's eyes widened in surprise and Mint frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Oh?" Melody's smile turned into a smirk. "Have you forgotten everything so soon?"

Mint shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Why don't I enlighten you." Melody pulled out a photograph from her purse. She handed it, face-down, to Mint. Mint flipped it over and gasped. A tear escaped from her eye as she cringed. Cato looked at the photo and paled. It showed a hanging. A woman with beautiful, long, brown hair and a man with red hair. Blood drenched their clothes and there was a pool of the dark red liquid at their feet. Watching them was a small girl with short brown-red hair. She was crying and clutching a worn rabbit toy. Her light brown dress was ripped and stained with blood and her face was dirty. She wore no shoes and her arms and legs were thin. Mint dropped the photograph and placed a hand on her mouth to muffle her sobs. She curled up into a ball and sobbed.

"What did you do?" Cato sneered as he wrapped his arms around Mint, comforting the whimpering girl.

"That is not the question, Cato." Melody shook her head in disapproval. "The question is, what did the Mayor do?"

"I don't give a damn about the question. Answer me." Cato growled.

"Ask her." Melody said, gesturing towards Mint. "She knows everything, don't you, cousin?"

Mint sniffed and wiped her tears. "The Mayor had my parents killed, hanged." She whispered.

"Why?" Cato asked, not believing that the man who had been like a father to him had actually killed his wife's parents. "What did they do?"

"They fell in love." Melody answered.

"What?" Cato didn't understand anything. "Will someone tell me the entire story?"

"Mint, go ahead." Melody smiled at her, a cold smile.

Mint shook her head. She couldn't tell Cato about her parents. All the wounds she had painstakingly healed would reopen and bleed.

Melody sighed. "Mint's mother was Brutus' sister and her father was my mother's brother. Mint's mother, Genevieve, was a mistake. She was a disgrace to the family because instead of training to become a tribute, she spent her days learning about healing plants and other such shit."

"My mother was not a disgrace!" Mint gritted her teeth. "She just hated blood, what's disgraceful about that?"

"Like mother, like daughter, eh?" Melody smirked. "Anyway, Genevieve was disowned and she earned a living by working in the orphanage with those filthy orphans." Melody shuddered as if 'orphan' was a disease and Mint bit her bottom lip to keep from saying anything. "One day, my uncle, Uncle Hyperion, saw Genevieve and like in any shitty fairytale book, it was 'love at first sight'. My uncle was forbidden from seeing her, as she was of much a lower status and she also had been disowned. So, they ran away together, eloped and had a baby girl, a.k.a, Mint Emma Silver. When the Mayor found out, he was enraged. He had them hanged, they died and Brutus took Mint in, hoping to make a tribute out of her." Melody gave Mint the once over. "That plan didn't work out so well, huh? And so, he locked her in her room, excluding her from the world. Pretty soon we all forgot she existed. More than half the district doesn't know about her and my step-father would like to keep it that way. Of course, he doesn't know that the girl his dear Cato married is actually the daughter of his beloved brother-in-law who eloped with a disgrace. And they all didn't live happily ever after, the end."

Cato looked over at his wife with wide eyes. He had so many questions. All those times Mint had refused to open up about her family, Cato had figured it was probably just a small personal matter and didn't press on. He had no idea that_ this_ was why she had never told him.

"Mint is the daughter of two disgraces." Melody smirked. "I would suggest you divorce her if you want to keep your reputation."

"You can't be serious?" Cato growled. He wanted answers, not a divorce. He grabbed Melody by her arm and dragged her to the front door before throwing her out. She hit the ground with a huff which was barely heard over the loud slam of the door. Melody cursed under her breath as she picked herself up and dusted off her clothes. She would definitely come back later.

Inside the house everything was silent. Mint was cuddled up in the corner of the sofa, tears no longer running down her cheeks. Her eyes were puffy and red and her face was pale. Her heart beat hard against her chest as she tried in vain to push away old memories. She was starting to wish she had told Cato herself what had happened. From his silence, she could tell he was probably pissed. She waited for Cato to burst into anger or walk away but instead she felt him gently begin to rub her back in a confused yet soothing manner. Cato was so gentle it almost seemed as if he was soothing a small child.

"It's going to be all right." Cato whispered while pulling her hair away from her face.

"Why are you doing this?" Mint asked, finally looking up at him. She was slightly surprised he wasn't bombarding her with questions. Expecting him to say because he had an obligation to his wife, she was even more surprised when he simply shrugged.

"I don't know." He said. "I guess it's because you would've probably done the same."

Mint seemed satisfied by his answer and she swallowed hard as Cato continued. "Even though I have questions, a lot of them, I won't ask you just yet. Maybe you need some time." Mint nodded in agreement. "And . . . Alex just told me that the train pulled in a few minutes ago. I think it's time to tell Brutus. I would prefer he doesn't make an entrance and break down my house."

"Where is Alex?" She asked.

"He's waiting for us at the end of Brutus's street. We'll meet him there. Until then . . ." He looked down at his old shirt and worn out jeans. "I think I should change."

Cato stood up and walked up the stairs to their room, Mint following closely behind. He opened the closet door and picked out some clothes for himself before throwing them onto the bed next to Mint. He pulled out some shoes next and headed towards the bathroom. Cato got dressed quickly and went downstairs to call Alex since he wanted to discuss something with him. Mint entered the bathroom and washed her face, hoping her red eyes would disappear. She then went downstairs and met Cato at the doorway.

"Let's get this over with." Cato whispered and opened the door for her. They walked outside and Cato instantly looked around for any sign of Melody. The last thing he needed was for her to waltz up to them unexpectedly. From what he could see, everything looked fine, but he linked arms with Mint just in case. They walked to Brutus's house together and on their way Mint couldn't help, but point out all the flowers. Cato had almost forgotten that it was only Mint's third or fourth time out in the world and seeing her bewildered face was priceless.

"Hey!" Alex exclaimed, jogging down the path towards them. Mint grinned and Alex pulled her into a bear hug.

"Hi." She said and he ruffled her hair. "Thanks for coming with us."

"Anything for my sister-in-law." Alex answered with a bright smile. All three of them continued the walk to Brutus's house and stopped at his front porch.

"All right, here he comes." Alex said and they looked to see a white Chevrolet Camaro turning the corner. Mint took a deep breath as the nerves suddenly started to kick in. When the car pulled into the driveway, Brutus stepped out wearing a black suit.

"What's this? Mint why aren't you inside?" Brutus asked in bewilderment and shock as his eyes wandered over the three of them.

"We're here to talk to you. We should go inside." Alex suggested.

Brutus took a deep breath to calm himself and then nodded stiffly. "Yes, let's go inside." He growled, swinging open the front door and slamming it behind him not caring to hold the door for the others.


End file.
